Apr. 7: The Doctor is a Nun

Though Sister Anne Brooks tends to the spiritual needs of the people in poverty-stricken Tutwiler, Mississippi, she spends even more time caring for their physical needs as the only local doctor many of them have ever known.

In 1983, Sister Anne opened a medical clinic in Tutwiler with the help of a grant from the charity, Catholic Extension. As reported by Byron Pitts of CBS News, she is now 73 and works 12-hour days, seven days a week.

More than two-thirds of her patients have no money to pay for medical care. “Last year, I spent $48,000 buying medicine for people who couldn’t afford it but would have died if they didn’t have medicine,” said Sister Anne. The money all came from donations for which she is extremely grateful.

As she gets older, Sister Anne especially wishes for a second doctor to help with her work. She has no intention of retiring, though, because she loves the people of the community. She says, “[This work] is about having someone care about you so you can care about yourself. It’s a dream.”